Undated handout photo issued by Cheshire Police of drugs gang boss Jamie Simpson who has been ordered to pay more than £6 million after he was jailed following the seizure of 186kg of cocaine from a van on the M6. PA Photo. Issue date: Wednesday May

A DRUGS gang boss has been ordered to pay more than £6 million after he was jailed following the seizure of 186kg of cocaine from a van on the M6 near Knutsford.

Jamie Simpson and his associates were on their way back from Kent on August 2, 2018, when police surrounded their Ford Transit van in the fast lane of the motorway.

Officers made what they believe to be one of the country's largest land-based seizures of cocaine, as they found £20 million of the drug concealed under the floor of the van, as well as in the passenger seat and in boxes.

Simpson, who was jailed for 11 years and six months for conspiracy to supply cocaine in April last year, has now been ordered to pay back his share of profits from the multimillion-pound drugs haul, a spokesman for Cheshire police said.

The spokesman said Simpson had been ordered to pay back £6,143,854 following a proceeds of crime hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday.

Detective Chief Inspector Giles Pierce said: "It is unheard of for a criminal to have such a large benefit figure but this is due to the fact that Simpson was involved in one of the largest in-land cocaine seizures in this country.

"More than £6 million of that cocaine belonged to Simpson and the remaining amount would have been purchased by other organised criminals.

"Simpson will always be in debt and owe the police the money until he has repaid the full amount.

"In the future, once he is released from prison, the Proceeds of Crime Act gives us the power to take from him anything he buys that is of value.

"This means he will never live the lavish lifestyle he did when he was operating his criminal enterprise."

Simpson was one of 21 people found guilty of criminal offences as part of Operation Dreadnought, an investigation into two organised crime groups in Warrington who made, distributed and profited from the supply of drugs across the country.

Police said the gangs led "cash-rich" lives and drove fast, high-powered cars, but their extravagant lifestyles raised suspicions.

Cheshire police and crime commissioner David Keane said: "The Proceeds of Crime Act ensures that money seized from criminals is put to good use keeping our communities safe.

"Criminal activity ruins lives and communities so I am committed to ensuring money seized from offending is reinvested back into our communities to discourage people from making the same mistakes.

"My Safer Communities Fund takes the money seized underneath the Proceeds of Crime Act in Cheshire and reinvests it back into local community groups via small grants so they can make their area a safer place to live."

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